The Empty Room’s current production of RC Sherriff’s World War I drama Journey’s End is so much better than it seems on first reflection. When broken down for parts, 98% of it is in fine, working order. Some of that 98% I would even call excellent (Joshua Stodart’s steel-nerved scamp of a Mason, for example, not […]
Richard Curtis is a man who is extraordinarily good at what he does. He writes (and sometimes directs) British romantic comedies and he does it with more consistency than almost anyone else working in that genre. He has more movies on my favourites list than any other writer (even Aaron Sorkin and Nora Ephron top […]
*sigh* It’s now been 2 years since Stratford put on a Shakespeare production truly worthy of the festival stage. Last year’s Cymbeline was pretty good and there are 2 near-great productions in this year’s lineup (Othello and Merchant of Venice) but nothing with the excitement of 2011’s fabulous Twelfth Night and thrilling Titus, or the […]
The straight plays are usually the weakpoint of a Stratford Festival season. With the musically minded Des McAnuff at the helm for the last few years and an untouchable legacy with Shakespeare, usually the musical and classical productions dominate. But in Antoni Cimolino’s first season as Artistic Director, the plays were stronger than ever (though, […]
This is getting a little ridiculous. Once again this year, the best productions at The Stratford Festival were musicals. Now, unlike last year, it’s not actually that big a deal. New Artistic Director Antoni Cimolino didn’t stack the deck with four musicals against three Shakespeare like the 2012 season; he gave Shakespeare (and straight plays) […]
Okay, I’m going to try really really hard to make it through this review without making it about my hatred of Hair. I don’t understand why people still perform such a senseless outdated text and yet I find myself roped into seeing production after production of the hippie musical. What has come, at least, of […]
Let’s start with the good news- within DJ Sylvis’ long-awaited new play The Nefarious Bed & Breakfast there lies a founding idea that is incredibly strong. What happens when a super villain wants out? Say he just wants to settle down, run a quaint little establishment with a focus on customer service. Will the so-called […]
I like Kat Sandler a lot. She’s one of Toronto’s most consistently excellent young playwrights, always offering up vivid characters, spry dialogue, fabulous pacing and unique plots. But Sucker, the first two-act piece I’ve seen from her, is way better than typically good Sandler. It’s identifiably her- that wondrous wit is still there in spades; […]